Development of an Efficient and Economic Small Scale Management Scheme for Low- and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste and Its Impact on the Environment. Preliminary Report

摘要

This paper is a preliminary report on the evolution of a pilot-scale management system for low-and intermediate level radioactive wastes to provide adequate protection to the public as well as maintain the equilibrium in the human environment. Discussions on the waste management and disposal scheme proposals, assessment of waste treatment requirements of the Atomic Research Center, Philippine Atomic Energy Commission, previous experiences in the handling and management of radioactive wastes, current practices and alternatives to meet waste management problems and research studies on waste treatment are presented. In the selection of a chemical treatment process for ARC, comparative studies on the different waste processing methods or combination of processes that will be most suitable for the waste requirements of the Center are now in progress. The decontamination efficiency and economy of the lime-soda, ferrocyanide phosphate and ferric hydroxide methods are being compared. Jar experiments were conducted in the Lime-Soda Process to establish the optima conditions for certain parameter required in order to achieve an efficient and economical treatment system applicable to the local conditions for attaining maximum removal of contamination; maximum settling time - 5 hours after treatment, optimum pH-11, 2:3 ppm ratio of Ca exp +2 to CO sub 3-2 concentration, concentration of dosing reagents can further be increased beyond 160 ppm Ca exp +2 and 240 ppm CO sub 3-2 . Cobalt contamination can be removed with lime-soda treatment aside from strontium. (Atomindex citation 09:405347)